We'll Grieve Together
by Eternal.Tranquility
Summary: Sometimes it's true and we don't know what we have until it's gone. Other times we know just what we had, even more so after it's gone.
1. Graveyards and Letters

'Dear Fred,

I don't know how well this will really work out, and I kind of feel dumb, since you're never going to read this, or reply to it but it's worth a shot I guess. So here I go.

It's been a while since you died. A lot of things in my life have changed, but at the same time they're still the same way they were when you were alive. I still go and see your mum all the time. We have tea a lot. The joke shop is still going strong, Ron's been helping George out when I can't make it, but he just doesn't get the jokes like you did. And I can tell George misses you too. We all do.

Lord I miss you so much, and it kills me on the inside that I never got the chance to say goodbye. I hope you knew that I loved you deeply and that's never going to die. I'm going to love you forever, like we promised. We may not have gotten married and started that family that we wanted, but I still love you. You and George were the best people I ever met.

Okay, this is a lot harder than I thought. So I try to pretend I'm okay around everyone else but I'm not. I laugh at all of George's jokes, but I can tell he's hurting. What I'm trying to say Fred is that I wish I could feel your hand in mine, your lips against mine. You lips against my skin, everything we use to do I want that back, really bad. But I'm sure you're having a time up there without me, I hope it's fun, and that you're smiling down on me. And I'm sure everyone may not be happy you're up there since you were so young and still had your whole life ahead of you, but I'm sure you're bringing the party, because you always seemed to do that.

Well I'm going to stop writing now before I get to upset. But just remember I love you, and I'm never going to forget you. Just thought I'd let you know that.

Love always.

Aalina.'

Aalina wiped away her tears with her thumb then folded up the parchment and slipped it into the envelope and sealed it. She stood up and went to grab her jacket and umbrella then apparated to the graveyard. She didn't come often, just because it still pained her to see the tombstone with his name forever engraved in the stone.

But today there was something calling her there, and she had a letter she wanted to place with him, even if he couldn't read it, or even open it, she felt she needed to give it to him. So she gently closed her eyes and kissed the letter before placing it over his grave and whispering a small enchantment which sucked the letter into the ground with him forever.

"Same idea it seems." Aalina heard a voice say from behind her, she knew who it was. George.

"You wrote him a letter too?" she asked her back still to the twins back tears in her eyes again.

"Yea, mum thought it would be a good idea, and might help with all the emotions I'm feeling over my lost twin." he told her, his own voice cracking as he spoke.

Aalina turned to him and let all her emotions free. "I miss him so much Georgie." she whispered through her tears and dropped the umbrella then wrapped her arms around the much taller than she was red head.

"I know. I do too." George whispered and kissed her head. "But we both know he wouldn't want this, us wasting away and grieving over him. Actually he told me before he died that if anything were to happen to him he wanted me to take care of you." George told her as he rubbed her back, somehow feeling a slight bit of comfort being here with her.

Maybe it was because she was going through the same thing he was. Really why he felt this sudden comfort wasn't important, he was just glad to have someone who knew how he felt; sure she hadn't lost a twin, or a brother.

But she knew how he felt, since well she was probably as close to his twin as he was, only in a much different way. And he knew his family was upset about it, but there was just something about how he and Aalina felt about losing Fred that was different than how everyone else felt, which put his nerves about never having anyone to talk to that understood how he felt at ease.


	2. There For Each Other

Aalina chewed on her lip. "Do you want something to drink?" She asked George who was sitting at her kitchen table. After their embrace at Fred's grave earlier they'd decided to stay with each other until at least the morning. So they knew they were both okay.

"Whatever is fine with me." George said and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled at her when she handed him a glass of water. Well that's what he figured it was.

"You know Fred and I talked about the war a few times." Aalina said as she looked down at her mug filled with tea, she was gripping it kind of tight. "He tried to convince me not to go with him, saying it was going to be too dangerous and he wouldn't be able to live if he found me dead somewhere." she said biting her lip when she felt the tears again. "God I'm an emotional wreck." she whispered and wiped her eyes.

"That was the first time we've ever had a real argument, one where we actually disagreed on something, not just me getting upset because he dumped some water on me, or made me lose my place in a book, or me not understanding his wonderful new jokes." she said then took a sip of her tea.

"We actually fought about this. I won obviously because I was there, but nothing turned out like we'd actually planned. He wasn't supposed to die, of course I feel stupid I mean it was a war, we had no control over it, but still. It'd meant a lot what he told me after the fight. I remember his arms around me. We swayed a bit and he kissed my head, and then whispered all his plans for after the war." she was again crying while she told George the story. Something she just felt like sharing.

"He was all 'Aalina we're going to get married then go to Italy, and I'm going to rent us a one of those boat things the mugglles use to get around. Then we're going to shag like animals all night long, and we're going to make a baby. It'll be beautiful. I hope it looks like you love.' Then he told me he loved me." she couldn't take it. It seemed everything was going wrong. When she tried to talk about Fred she got so upset. He'd been dead for almost a year, and everyone told her that talking about him might help her get over his death and move on. But it wasn't. Talking about it made her miss him more.

She felt like not a soul in the world understood how in love she was with him. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. There wasn't a person in the world that she could ever love the way she loved Fred. She'd been so close to him since she was eleven. He was her first kiss, the reason all the other relationships with people never worked out and he'd been gone for almost a year and she still didn't know what to do with her life. She felt so lost and lonely without him. Even when she was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her.

George was speechless as she told him everything. Fred had never been one to share what all him and Aalina did while they were alone, together. It was just something Fred didn't talk about, even when George would ask him. And he could tell by the way Aalina sounded, the way she looked, how she cried, everything about the story that she was having a really hard time dealing with this. Harder than he'd expected. He knew his brother a lot better than anyone, and he knew Fred really was madly in love with Aalina, it'd been like that since they were young. George remembered Fred telling him one day. 'One day I'm going to make Aalina my wife.' He didn't want to tell Aalina that and make her more upset than he already was.

But from that day on he knew how much his brother felt about this girl. Who now was standing in front of him with her head laid down on a counter, crying her eyes out, and pouring her soul out to try and get over him, as she grieved. And it was kind of hard to see her like this. It was upsetting him. And if she were to push him away, he'd understand but in this moment he realized what Fred had really wanted when he told him to take care of Aalina if anything were to happen to him. And he was going to make sure he was there for her no matter what, because he may not be Fred, and he may not be the love of her life, but he was the love of her life's living twin brother and he knew that she needed him there for her, as much as he needed her in his life. To be reminded his brother because even he was upset about it, still. And maybe just maybe together they could overcome the upset much better than if they weren't there for each other at all.

Aalina felt a hand on her back. She looked stood up straight and looked at him. "Thanks for being here Georgie." she whispered and wiped her eyes with her thumb.

"No problem." he whispered and kissed her head. "Everything is going to be okay Aalina, and I'm here if you need me. Whenever." he told her and pulled her into a hug. "I think for now though we need to take your mind off of Fred and put it on something else, something more peaceful and less upsetting." he said and tried to think of something. "How about I make you dinner, and we watch one of those muggle things, um movies. I think is what their called, you know on that tape thing." he said sounding stupid.

Aalina playfully rolled her wet eyes at him. "You're as bad as he was about muggle things." she said but nodded, "And that sounds wonderful actually I haven't eaten all day." she said and pulled away from him for a moment. "Thanks for being here. It really means a lot." she told him then kissed his cheek and headed off to find a muggle movie for them to watch.

She was glad that George was there, to help her out. Help her get back on her feet, and help her move on. Though no matter what happens she was never going to forget about Fred. Or anything she'd been through with him.


	3. Step One To Moving On

After dinner and the movie Aalina got up from her spot on the couch next to George and headed to the kitchen to clean up. Things would have gone a lot quicker if she would just use her magic to clean things, but that was the funny thing. Since Fred passed away she'd found herself doing things the muggle way. There's nothing wrong with that, it was kind of her way to be alone and think about things.

Her heart wrenched every time she thought about things involving him to hard. But when his brother was there and they'd just had dinner and watched a movie, that happen to be one of Fred's favorites; though he wasn't into watching muggle movies period, Aalina couldn't help but think about him. Something she needed stop doing. He wasn't coming back, he was gone, and it was time for her to move on. Something he would want her to do.

So when she finished the few dishes she and George had dirtied up she walked into the living room and smiled at him. "I'm going to take a shower. But you're welcome to uh do as you please." She smiled at him then walked off towards the bathroom to take a shower. Hoping to calm her nerves, this was just what she needed, something to calm her nerves. She walked into her bathroom and turned on the water, then stepped in and let the water run over her body and wash everything away.

George ran his hand through his hair and nodded towards Aalina while he watched the beautiful girl his twin was supposed to be getting married to walk off to take a shower. His mind was never going to be able to get off of her now. He'd always been fond of her. Thought she was prettier than most, found her kind of funny. And had always wondered why she'd picked Fred over him, but it hadn't really bugged him. Since Fred and Aalina had always been happy. Though now Fred was gone, and George was going to show her that moving on was okay. He didn't know how well she would go along with him, but he was going to try, because this was going to help him and her both.

He made his way up to her room, knowing she was still in the shower, since he heard the water running, and then he walked into her room. It was a bit bigger than he thought, but that wasn't important. He looked around her room, and smiled, and tears pricked his eyes as he saw all the things she had of Fred's in a box, seeing as Aalina'd bought a flat of her own after Fred died so she wouldn't have to stay in the one they were sharing.

He was so caught up in the box though that he hadn't even noticed she'd walked in and was naked; well other than the towel.

"Well this is pleasant." Aalina said biting her lip when she walked into her room and saw George in there looking at Fred's things.

"I'm just going to get dressed in the bathroom." She whispered and walked over to her dresser to get some clean clothes. This wasn't much since she didn't sleep in the whole shebang as some people did, so when she returned to her room after dressing, she was in some panties and a small silk nightgown.

"Wow." Was all George could get out when she got back as he walked over to her.

Aalina just brushed it off and walked over to where he was, biting her lip when she also looked at the box. Everything in the box were the things she'd wanted to keep, and of course Molly graciously agreed, Aalina was like a daughter to her, and the woman would give her anything that would be helpful to Aalina moving on and getting better.

George wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her head. He had no idea what to say really. And the bad thing was while she was in the shower he'd came up with all the right things to say, they were all gone now that she was next to him. He held her close to him and rubbed her back then kissed her cheek, and without thinking he pressed his lips to hers softly.

Aalina didn't pull away either. She actually deepened the kiss a bit enjoying being so close to someone again. Having someone hold her, kiss her, make her feel pretty again. Something she hadn't felt in such a long time that she'd forgotten what it was really like to feel how she did right in the moment.

George slowly walked with her still in his arms to her bed and straddled her with his lips still connected to hers. He slipped his hands over her body slowly getting down to her thighs. Then he gently slid his hands up her thighs rubbing them, clearly not thinking straight about what they were doing. Though she still hadn't pushed him off, or told him to stop. So he wasn't going to, not unless she told him to.


	4. Memories and Tangles

"_Aalina," Fred paused and took in a deep breath of air she could tell he was nervous. _

"_Yea?" she asked getting freaked out Fred never got nervous about anything, this couldn't be good. What if he was thinking of a way to break up with her, they'd been together so long. Lord he couldn't break up with her, she would be broken forever. _

_Fred knew she was freaking out since he was, he knew her to well. But he stopped them and smiled at her then got in front of her and got on one knee. "Aalina Phillips, will you make me truly the happiest man in the whole universe." He said taking out the ring. "Will you marry me?" he asked her, even though he already knew the answer. He'd wanted this to be special and he was pretty sure she would never forget this. _

_Aalina's free hand went up to her forehead. "Oh my god Fred." She said tears in her eyes. "Of course I will. It would be amazing to marry you." She said, then felt a ring being slipped on to her finger and being picked up off her feet and spun around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. _

"_I love you." She told him looking him in the eye, though right now she felt like she was yelling to the world. Well she was kind of. She was yelling it to her world since otherwise he wouldn't have heard her over all the 'aws' and 'how sweets' that were going on behind them. _

"_I know." Was his reply before he sat her back on the ground then pressed his lips to hers, giving her the most passionate kiss he'd ever given her in the time they had been dating. It was more passionate than the first time they kissed after they confessed their love for each other. Of course that was a whole different reason. But she still had never forgotten it. Since everything involving Fred had to be done in some way where she wouldn't be able to forget them, like the first time they met, or this, the time he told her he loved her, even her birthdays. _

"_Fred I couldn't be happier right now." She said and ran her fingers though his hair when they pulled apart. And her happiness wouldn't go away until the battle of Hogwarts._

_Even during the time that they were all in hiding, though she couldn't wait until it was over and they could pick up on life where they'd left off. Though it never happened since once the battle started she got an awful feeling and she didn't know what it was. She'd told Fred and he'd decided that it was just because they were in a war, since he had a bad feeling about it as well so she tried to ignore it. _

_Most of the night was a blur to her, since all she could think about was keeping herself and those she loved safe. But then it happened she's grabbed Fred's hand terrified they were so close to the end so close to everything they'd wanted. She told him one last time that she loved him then he'd cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. _

"_Love I'm going to help George but I promise I'll meet up with you when this is all over okay. And I love you more than life itself, I would die to keep you safe. And kill every one of these bastards with my bare hands if they take you from me." He told her and kissed her again then ran off. It was the last time she saw him alive._

_Within moments her life took a spin for the worst. She'd snapped out of the daze Fred had set in her then headed off in the same direction he'd headed in, with the intention to find Ginny. Instead she was one of the first to notice him, and while everyone else seemed interested in Harry still being alive, she let out a wail and walked up to him before collapsing to his body and grabbed his hand. She begged him to get up. Shook him some, everything but it didn't work and she felt her heart breaking more. _

"_Fred you can't leave me. I need you." She said through tears. " _

_She didn't even notice George walk over and wrap his arms around her, or anything anyone said to her. All she could see was Fred's dead body in front of her and all she could hear was him telling her he loved her and would meet up with her when it was all over. _

_Aalina didn't know what she was supposed to do since he was gone. And she crawled up to him and nuzzled her face in his neck. "Fred please get up." She said quietly and wished by telling him to get up then he would. But it didn't seem to be working. And that was the part that kept tearing at her heart. That he wasn't getting up. Ever again, and it killed her on the inside even more that he was smiling, like he'd just made a joke. Which knowing Fred he had just made a joke. But she would never get to hear it from his lips. _

"You okay love?" George asked quietly but hoping he was loud enough to pull Aalina from whatever she was thinking about, since it seemed to be something bad, because she seemed upset, of course George had a pretty good idea what she was thinking about.

Aalina came out of her thoughts and looked up at George. "I'm fine." She whispered then lay back on the bed and pulled the cover up over her body. Not really caring if George lay next to her or not. Right now she was just mad at herself for even beginning to think about it. And she wasn't even sure why it popped up in her head.

Sure she didn't wear her engagement ring anymore, but there was nothing wrong with that. Fred was gone and it was pointless for her to hold on to him, she needed to move on. And there was no way she could be thinking this because she felt bad about kissing George and she felt like she was still committed to Fred. She hoped anyways. Because Fred was gone he wasn't coming back. There was nothing wrong with what happened with her and George.

Or at least she hadn't seen anything wrong with what she and George had done. This was all just driving poor Aalina insane, and she was getting tangled in something she really didn't want to be tangled in.


End file.
